Month: February 2025

There are lots of great activities happening around town this weekend and during the next week. Some events do require registration, so please visit the organization's Facebook page or website for more information.

Your #communitymuseum will be open on Sunday from 12-3 - it's the last winter hours weekend - we're back to regular spring/summer/fall hours next Sunday when the clocks go forward.

#makesomememories #storiesmatter #takelotsofphotos

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Remember when the Aldergrove Festival Days Business Dress-up Contest was one of the hottest competitions in town? Everyone waited and waited for the theme to be announced and then it was off to the races to find or build props, make costumes and get their hands on the coveted first place trophy.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #aldergrovefairdays

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Celebrating Aldergrove Figure Skating Club's recent gold medals with a look back at the early 1990s. I couldn't find the article that should go with this photo, so if anyone knows the occasion and the year, the information would be appreciated. =)

#storiesmatter #localhistory #figureskating

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29 years ago - October 1996 - the Aldergrove Agricultural Association Fall Fair was held in Aldergrove Centre Mall.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #thegoodolddays

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HMCS Aldergrove not only had baseball and bowling teams, the base had a trophy winning curling team in March 1960 - well done!

#storiesmatter #localhistory #royalcanadiannavy

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This is #FreedomToRead Week and now, more than ever, it's important to raise a reader. I love to read - and I loved those book sales at school. I would save my allowance for weeks waiting for the book fair. How about you?

To learn more about #FreedomToRead: https://www.freedomtoread.ca/freedom-to-read-week/

#storiesmatter #localhistory #readabook

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Today we wish the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #265, Aldergrove BC happy Founding Meeting Day - 62 years ago, a group of Veterans gathered together to form our community's Legion. Here is a look at the 1974 executive as well as the Ladies Auxiliary. Also included is a re-post of the clippings for the Founding Meeting.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #RoyalCanadianLegion

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Lots things going on this weekend at our Royal Canadian Legion Branch #265, Aldergrove BC this weekend with live entertainment, darts, games, breakfast and a paint night. If you have a youth interested in art, then Langley Arts Council has you covered - check their FB page or website for event details and registration information. Saturday afternoon offers tea and live music at the Aldergrove OAP Hall and of course, your community museum & archives will be open on Sunday afternoon.

#storiesmatter #makesomememories #takelotsofphotos

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Today's post is to do with a tradition that doesn't seem to have made it out of the 20th century. Ladies, how many of you had a "Hope Chest" - formerly called Dower Chests or Trousseau Chests. My maternal grandmother had one, as did my Mom, and even I have one. I don't recall how old I was when it was given to me, I've just "always had it".

#storiesmatter

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Today we remember George McAdam, who passed away on this day in 2011 at the age of 88. As you've seen in earlier stories, George was all about community, and he left some mighty big shoes to fill. Not to mention a very fashionable but seasonal red suit.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #royalcanadiannavy #seacadetscanada

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Mr. & Mrs. Angus McCuaig celebrated their Golden Anniversary in 1959. The family moved to the Otter community from Alberta in 1944, and while I have seen the McCuaig name often in reading through the newspapers, there is not a lot to be found about them in our archives. No one seems to have researched or submitted a story about the family for The Place Between Volume 2, but they've now been added to our ever growing index of families who lived in our community.

#localhistory #storiesmatter

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Way, way back when the Canadian government wanted BC to join confederation and promised a railroad and then promised 20 miles of land on each side of the tracks to the CPR - land that the settler governments had taken for themselves whilst pushing the Indigenous people onto reserves - was then argued about between the BC government and the Dominion government. I should note here that there are ongoing research efforts at the museum to understand and appreciate land use and Indigenous presence prior to settler times.

While there is much more research to be done in regards to the transformation of lands in the Fraser Valley, as you can see on this map, the entire valley from the Coast Meridian upwards through the province was claimed as the Railway Belt. The verbose banter between the different levels of government helped to explain the boon in settler land applications …

In May 2007, your #communitymuseum celebrated its official opening for the summer season with the raising of the #CanadianFlag by our #communitypartner, @Royal Canadian Legion Branch #265, Aldergrove BC

Happy 60th to our national flag.

#storiesmatter #localhistory

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Here's an interesting Lower Mainland railway map that gives a bit of history about the lines that used to get people and products where they needed to be. This map was drawn in 1971 by Ron Meyer for the Pacific Coast Division of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association, which has a very large railroad museum & archives in Quebec.

#storiesmatter #railhistory #localhistory

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There's lots going on this Family Day Weekend. Also included for those who like to plan ahead is the Aldergrove Business Association's 2025 Event Calendar.

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Aldergrove and its surrounding communities were built on the strength and dedication of volunteers. Here is one such volunteer, Mrs. Christine Craig, is being recognized for her efforts. Mrs. Craig was also the first librarian at the FVRL Aldergrove branch.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #volunteersmakeadifference

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Inter-house competitions at Aldergrove High School - do you remember which house you were in and can you name all of the houses? Are those house names still in use at the school? If I recall correctly, those competitions could be pretty fierce back in the day.

#SD35 #storiesmatter #localhistory #schooldays

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Aldergrove High School's Honour Roll for January 1959. The students were rewarded with a bus trip to Western Washington College in Bellingham.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #SD35 #schooldays

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In June 1981 CFS Aldergrove played host to the Aldergrove Chamber of Commerce, with Base Commander Johnston sharing the Base's history with attendees.

#localhistory #storiesmatter #royalcanadiannavy

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The location of Paw Prints Pet Supplies and Aldergrove's first Radio Shack store in today's earlier post was correctly identified by Susan Rossit. They were among the first tenants in the building on the NW corner of 29th & 272nd, where the Watt family's house had stood for many years. I was told a number of months (maybe a year or two) ago that the Watt house was moved to the hobby farm area of 250th & 252nd, north off of 16th Avenue. Does anyone know if this is true?

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Two brand new stores opened in Aldergrove in September 1975. Who remembers where they were located? note - I've removed some of the window reflection of other buildings to make it a bit more challenging. More will be revealed later today. =)

#storiesmatter #localhistory #supportlocal

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Mrs. Jessie Howard was one of the daughters of James Leslie Walker, an Aldergrove settler who took up land on Boundary Road. We've previously shared stories about James and his wife Jessie Matilda, but here is a nice feature on daughter Jessie, with a bit more background on the family. Mrs. Howard lived on the property at 26717 Boundary Road until she passed away in January 1976. She was survived by her sister Leslie and niece Merle.

#storiesmatter #localhistory

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The north side of Fraser Highway east of 272 Street, 1959. All of the buildings in the top photo are still standing, except for the realty office on the far left. In the bottom photo, Aldergrove Automotive (formerly Ross Motors) was demolished in 1978, and the building to the east (the realty office in the top photo) was the former post office and home to Aldergrove's Postmaster, George MacDonald came down in 1975 or 1976.

#localhistory #storiesmatter

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There are lots of great things happening this weekend and coming up next weekend, as well. Here is a small sampling.

#storiesmatter #makesomememories #takelotsofphotos

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Aldergrove Builders' Supplies Ltd once stood where the Salvation Army Thrift Store is now located.

#localhistory #storiesmatter

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